http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu... Jul. 09, 2008 | On July 3, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court in California made a ruling particularly worthy of the nation's attention. In Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation Inc. v. Bush, a key case in the epic battle over warrantless spying inside the United States, Judge Walker ruled, effectively, that President George W. Bush is a felon.
Judge Walker held that the president lacks the authority to disregard the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA -- which means Bush's warrantless electronic surveillance program was illegal. Whether Bush will ultimately be held accountable for violating federal law with the program remains unclear. Bush administration lawyers have fought vigorously -- at times using brazen, logic-defying tactics -- to prevent that from happening. The court battle will continue to play out as Congress continues to battle over recasting FISA and possibly granting immunity to telecom companies involved in the illegal surveillance.
If the AG certifies that the monitoring was legal you can bet your bottom dollar that the Plaintiff's will challenge that cerfication and cite this ruling. The trial courts will be sure to review the "blanket certifications" to ensure that substantial evidence exists.
The courts are not all crooked and they take their jobs and the constitution damned serious. Congress cannot pass laws that infringe upon the constitutional rights of citizens.
